Helpful resources for individuals living with vision loss.

Listed below are some of our “partner” organizations, including current grantees and other resource partners, with descriptions of their programs that have received funding from Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation.

American Council of the Blind (ACB), Alexandria, VA is developing best practices standards, curriculum, and software training for Zoom meeting hosts and attendees with vision loss. Once completed, these standards, curriculum, and training modules will be offered to all in the blind and vision impaired community who host Zoom meetings.

American Printing House for the Blind (APH), Louisville, KY sponsors the Kentucky Braille Challenge, a competitive academic event which aims to help blind students grades K – 12 on the road to braille literacy. APH promotes independence of people who are blind and visually impaired by providing specialized materials, products, and services needed for education and life.

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Alexandria, VA, through its BVA Ambassador Program, helps to connect veterans who experience vision loss with the VA’s Blind Rehabilitation Service. Despite a multitude of programs offered, only a small number of those who could benefit receive VA services. This disparity exists because most veterans are either unaware of what is available to them or incorrectly assume they are not eligible because their vision loss is not service connected. The Ambassador Program bridges the gap between veterans and the VA by recruiting a national network of trained volunteers who serve as peer mentors and advocates for veterans adjusting to vision loss. An Ambassador Success Kit is being developed with marketing and communication materials to advance this program.

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF), Brockport, NY supports participants in their research-based adaptive physical education program, Camp Abilities Brockport. Camp Abilities’ athletic programs have been replicated nationally and internationally. They have produced serious competitive Paralympic athletes while simultaneously allowing all participating kids living with vision loss the opportunity to simply play ball on a field in the summer sun.

The Carroll Center for the Blind, Newton, MA, through its Careers in Accessibility Training Program, aims to immerse high school and college-aged students who are blind or visually impaired in accessibility-related disciplines.  This program, offered remotely, makes it possible for students to learn digital efficiency and gain knowledge about accessibility, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and accessible web and increasing their competitiveness in the job market.   

The Chicago Lighthouse,  Chicago, IL offers readiness training, internships, placement services, and assistive technology to more than 1,000 people each year. RDPFS grant funding will support expansion of their IT Services Career Development Initiative, which provides training and connects individuals who are blind and visually impaired with employment opportunities in the growing IT (Information Technology) sector. This Initiative meets the growing demand for IT professionals and creates sustainable career paths for the BVI community. CL is focusing on advancing the careers of its IT helpdesk agents and expanding job opportunities in this field for greater numbers of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 

A Closer Look, Inc, New York, NY is conducting an outreach campaign for the documentary film, Going Blind and GoingForward. Going Blind increases public awareness of vision loss and low vision issues, aiming to change the standard of care by bringing the issues of sight loss, including prevention, treatment, and coping, and the availability of vision  enhancement services, to patients, the general public and medical professionals.  Visit goingblindmovie.com to learn more.

Future in Sight, Concord, NH is piloting a program that adds Occupational Therapy services to the vision rehabilitation process. This program doubles the amount of skills training seniors who are experiencing vision loss receive. These older adults, who have recently become vision impaired, will learn new skills to gain the proficiency and confidence to lead independent lives.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB), Yorktown Heights, NY has taken a leadership role with other guide dog schools to develop a database tracking the genetic traits among the dogs they mate, resulting in more reliable and accurate information to improve the use of genetics for breeding. This has resulted in the creation of more effective and longer-lasting guide dog teams, making it possible for individuals with vision loss to integrate into the overall community and maximize the benefits provided through service animals. Current funding supports training staff  members of the schools involved to input their data with greater accuracy. The result: better data applied to breeding that will improve the quality of guide dogs across the nation. 

Hadley, Winnetka, IL is developing 16 instructional workshops for users of the Microsoft Seeing AI app, a vital navigation tool, with funding from RDPFS. This app leverages AI (Artificial Intelligence) to assist users of both Apple and Android devices in navigating their surroundings with more confidence in real time, fostering independence by minimizing reliance on others, at home, at work, and in social settings. Over the past four years, Hadley has employed a proven, highly effective process to develop and provide online workshops free of charge to adults with vision loss. The new funding will also support marketing efforts to ensure that this initiative reaches the maximum number of individuals who can benefit from its transformative technology. Hadley provides both practical and social/emotional help to older adults adjusting to vision loss, empowering them to adapt and thrive.

Helen Keller Services for the Blind (HKSB), Brooklyn, NY sponsors Camp Helen Keller, a summer program in offering an opportunity for children of all ages who are living with vision impairment come together and engage in fun outdoor activities. Helen Keller Services for the Blind offers a wide range of services and programs for people of all ages.

Lighthouse Guild, New York, NY has introduced the “Insightful Saturdays: Virtual Youth Enrichment Program,” which builds on the success of their longstanding Saturday Youth Socialization Skills Program (SYSP). SYSP brings socialization, rehabilitation, and technology instruction to children who are blind or visually impaired. RDPFS is supporting the implementation of this program online to benefit children who live in remote areas where they have limited in-person access to resources. This program provides children with an opportunity to meet peers with similar vision challenges. It also helps to build self-awareness and self-confidence, while cultivating the skills needed for future success in vocational rehabilitation or independent living. Lighthouse Guild is a vision and healthcare organization providing a broad range of medical, rehabilitation, educational, vocational, long-term care and social services for people of all ages.

National Braille Press (NBP), Boston, MA provides braille and large print teaching materials to Teachers of the Vision Impaired (TVI) to use with their students  through their TVI Braille Ignition Kits Program. Getting these  materials in the hands of the TVI’s increases the literacy rate of students in the blind and vision impaired  community. Their Great Expectations: Making Picture Books Come Alive for Blind Kids program promotes early literacy  through playful multisensory activities that inspire blind and visually impaired children to become actively engaged and excited about reading.  NBP promotes the literacy of blind children through braille and provides access to information that empowers blind people to actively engage in work, family, and community affairs.

Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA has a comprehensive program to meet the educational needs of children with Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI) and established the CVI Center in 2021. RDPFS funding supports the launch of the Perkins CVI Protocol, a comprehensive, inclusive, and holistic assessment, a free tool for parents, caregivers, and educators to work collaboratively to assess children who are suspected of having CVI. Perkins serves children and young adults with multiple disabilities, their families, educators, researchers, and professionals around the globe through educational services, accessibility, professional development, and innovation.

Prevent Blindness, Chicago, IL has launched the ASPECT training program, where people living with vision loss (or family members) are taught how to become effective story tellers and then how to use their personal story to advocate for the rights of persons living with vision loss or funding for the blindness community at large. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates participate in advocacy opportunities designed to benefit the blindness community communities across the nation. RDPFS is supporting their Evaluation and Engagement project, specifically, development of a web-based alumni platform to increase the program’s effectiveness, where alumni can directly interact with the Prevent Blindness team and other alumni advocates, sharing materials, advocacy opportunities, and experiences.

Rutgers University Eye2Eye Peer Support Program for Vision Loss, Newark, NJ assists adults who are blind or visually impaired and their families through free, phone-based support. To meet growing needs, Eye2Eye plans to increase the number of clients served with additional peer support staff and volunteers, enhance programming for family members, continue formalizing their training curriculum, and develop professional education materials for mental health professionals. They will also connect with other organizations providing services to individuals who are blind and visually impaired (BVI) and build a network of service providers and partnerships with other mental health programs. Eye2Eye will serve as a model to be replicated among other organizations in the BVI community.

Salus University, Elkins Park, PA is building on two offerings within their Programs in Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) to meet the needs of the growing population of adults who need Orientation and Mobility (O&M) and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT): Project Reach, which boosts enrollments in BLVS service education, and the internship programs for graduate O&M and VRT students. This will increase the number of professionals qualified to provide these services and reduce waiting lists of people needing training in O&M and VRT skills at the Salus University William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center and referring regional organizations. The initiative also offers potential replicability in other institutions of higher learning. 

Success Beyond Sight, Tuscon, AZ, seeks to educate and strengthen  professionals who interact with people who are blind or have low vision. Their National TSVI/TVI Recruitment Project addresses the nationwide shortage of properly trained Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments. A three-year campaign is underway to attract more students into TSVI university training programs nationally. The campaign features digital ads and other marketing initiatives to raise awareness of the opportunities and career satisfaction the profession offers among eligible applicants, including general and special education teachers, special education students, and career changers.

Teach Access, Eaton Rapids, MI, a volunteer-driven collaboration among industry, academia, and disability groups, develops models for teaching and training students in technology to help ensure that new products are accessible upon release, or “born accessible.” Technology companies have faced challenges in preparing designers, engineers, and researchers to build inclusively so that individuals with disabilities can use the technology. Academic programs also seek ways to better prepare students to meet diverse needs. The Teach Access Curriculum Repository (TACR), launched in 2022, helps to bridge the technology gap, providing a free collection of educational resources, housing courses, and increasing awareness and access to these resources. This helps to introduce as many students as possible to accessibility-infused curricula to build toward a future workforce skilled in creating accessible technology.

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), Colorado Springs, CO convenes the “Get Out and Play Blind” Soccer Symposium for Adaptive Sports Physical Education Instructors and Coaches. USABA was recognized by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee as the official national governing body of blind soccer, leading the Association to structure and prioritize the growth of grassroots and elite programming for the sport.  Implementing blind soccer programming across the country, USABA is now looking to grow awareness of and access to this new exciting, and emerging Paralympic sport in the lead up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games. The Get Out and Play Soccer Symposium seeks to educate Adapted Physical Education Teachers and Athletic Instructors who work with persons who are visually impaired about blind soccer. Teachers and coaches can then bring the sport back to their organizations, develop their skills, and facilitate organized league play. This will foster the creation of an elite team.

VisionLink, Philadelphia, PA has launched three projects to: Increase computer skills training, with in person classes; develop a train-the-trainer program for a new computer curriculum; and conduct an untraditional outreach program targeting cultural and social service organizations with the goal of developing partnerships so people living with vision loss feel welcomed when they access their programing along with their fully sighted peers. 

VISIONS Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, New York, NY developed an “outreach and services connectivity” program aimed at ensuring that all persons with vision impairment in seven counties in New York’s Hudson Valley have access to independent living skills training.  Once a person is identified as living with vision loss and needing training, the VISIONS staff contacts them immediately and offers the full array of independent living services. This immediate service delivery approach ensures that no one “falls through the cracks” while waiting for funding to be approved.

Resource Partners

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Arlington, VA seeks to create equal opportunities and expand possibilities through advocacy, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships.  AFB works to expand pathways to leadership, education, inclusive technology, and career opportunities for people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. This is accomplished through research, sharing knowledge, and pursuing strategic partnerships with those who can accelerate change in every aspect of society, including work and school.

Helen Keller International (HKI), New York, NY provides vulnerable youth and adults across the United States with vision screenings, eye exams, and prescription eyeglasses.

Learning Ally, Princeton, NJ is developing an accessibility component for their new web-based program platform. This new platform will house all of their reading and educational tools and audio books in one place. The platform will be “born accessible” and allow students living with vision loss to access reading and educational materials alongside their sighted peers.